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The Health Risks of Gay Sex

Sexual relationships between members of the same sex expose gays, lesbians and bisexuals to extreme risks of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), physical injuries, mental disorders and even a shortened life span.

Sexual relationships between members of the same sex expose gays, lesbians and bisexuals to extreme risks of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), physical injuries, mental disorders and even a shortened life span.

Sexual relationships between members ofthe same sex expose gays, lesbians and bisexu-als to extreme risks of sexually transmitted dis-eases (STDs), physical injuries, mental disordersand even a shortened life span. There are fivemajor distinctions between gay and heterosexu-al relationships, with specific medical conse-quences. They are:

•Levels of Promiscuity

Prior to the AIDS epidemic, a 1978 studyfound that 75 percent of white, gay malesclaimed to have had more than 100 life-time male sex partners: 15 percentclaimed 100-249 sex partners; 17 percentclaimed 250-499; 15 percent claimed 500-999; and 28 percent claimed more than1,000 lifetime male sex partners. Levelsof promiscuity subsequently declined, but some observers are concerned thatpromiscuity is again approaching thelevels of the 1970s. The medical conse-quence of this promiscuity is that gayshave a greatly increased likelihood ofcontracting HIV/AIDS, syphilis andother STDs.Similar extremes of promiscuity havenot been documented among lesbians.However, an Australian study foundthat 93 percent of lesbians reported hav-ing had sex with men, and lesbians were4.5 times more likely than heterosexualwomen to have had more than 50 life-time male sex partners. Any degree ofsexual promiscuity carries the risk ofcontracting STDs.

•Physical Health

Common sexual practices among gaymen lead to numerous STDs and physi-cal injuries, some of which are virtuallyunknown in the heterosexual popula-tion. Lesbians are also at higher risk forSTDs. In addition to diseases that may be transmitted during lesbian sex, astudy at an Australian STD clinic foundthat lesbians were three to four timesmore likely than heterosexual women tohave sex with men who were high-riskfor HIV.

•Mental Health

It is well established that there are highrates of psychiatric illnesses, includingdepression, drug abuse, and suicideattempts, among gays and lesbians. Thisis true even in the Netherlands, wheregay, lesbian and bisexual (GLB) relation-ships are far more socially acceptablethan in the U.S. Depression and drugabuse are strongly associated with riskysexual practices that lead to seriousmedical problems.

•Life Span

The only epidemiological study to dateon the life span of gay men concludedthat gay and bisexual men lose up to 20years of life expectancy.

•Monogamy

Monogamy, meaning long-term sexualfidelity, is rare in GLB relationships, par-ticularly among gay men. One studyreported that 66 percent of gay couplesreported sex outside the relationshipwithin the first year, and nearly 90 per-cent if the relationship lasted five years.Encouraging people to engage in risky sexu-al behavior undermines good health and canresult in a shortened life span. Yet that is exact-ly what employers and governmental entitiesare doing when they grant GLB couples benefitsor status that make GLB relationships appearmore socially acceptable.